Fitcher’s Bird, Bluebeard and variants (Mr. Fox, Robber Bridegroom, and others) are some of the most memorably shocking of all the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. Taking time to delve into the murky and often painful place of destructive elemental, vibrational, archetypal forces is to embark on a ‘night-sea’ journey. One can only hope that this is a journey from pathology to wholeness and healing. Questions will arise – what do we do when the destructive force is an actual person in our lives, what is the role of the archetypal demon in psyche, how, can and should this power be transformed? These are just some of the difficult questions we will face together.

Friday evening we will take time to read and discuss the tales and frame the possible themes so that we are ready to dive into experiential work on Saturday. The seminar will offer insights from developmental and archetypal psychology to explore the secretive and often dismembering power in all of us and explore how this might also be the source of transformation and new life.

The safe container of a room together in the flesh will hopefully allow us to re-member ourselves, to bring forth our own power and potential that may have been rejected, neglected, cut off or simply forgotten. This is an in-depth exploration of dismemberment and re-memberment in the bloody chamber and its role in psychological healing and transformation.

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Jane Bacon, PhD, is a Senior Jungian Analyst (IGAP, IAAP, UKCP)and Supervisor, Focusing Trainer, Teacher of the Discipline of Authentic Movement (www.disciplineofauthenticmovement.com) and Emerita Professor of Dance and Somatics at University of Chichester. She has a private practice in Northampton, UK offering individual psychotherapy and supervision as well as offering Authentic Movement groups and retreats in Northampton, London and internationally and calls ‘Creative Articulations Process’ workshops and mentoring with her collaborator Prof Vida Midgelow (UAL). A list of recent publications, artistic installations and workshops focusing on the relationship between psyche and soma can be found at www.janebacon.net and www.choreographiclab.co.uk.

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The Complete First Edition, The Original Fold and Fairly Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Translated and edited by Jack Zipes. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University.

Von Franz, ML. Individuation in Fairy Tales, London: Shambhala, 1990

Additional Reading:

Carter, A - The Bloody Chamber and other tales, Vintage Classics 1995.

Dieckmann, H -Twice-Told Tales, Chiron 1978.

Estes, CP -Women Who Run With The Wolves, Rider London 1992

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